Spinning top



NOV. 4, 1952 G, KONDRATH 2,616,213

SPINNING TOP Filed Aug. 13, 1949 IN VEN TOR.

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Patented Nov. 4, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SPINNING TOP Gus G. Kondrath, Detroit, Mich.

Application August 13, 1949, Serial No. 110,137

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to a spinning top, and has to do particularly with a spinning top of the type adapted to have a string wound thereon and adapted to be thrown or cast by the user in which action the top becomes separated from the string. The object of the invention is to provide an improved top structure by means of which various skilled performances or tricks can be executed by the user. Among these performances is that of casting the top and then by a rather quick reverse or drawin back motion of the arm, the top is retracted, and when loosened from the string, may be caught spinning in the palm of the hand. Also among the tricks or performances is that of manipulating the spinning top with the string so that it may be kept spinning and repeatedly acted upon by the string and caught in the palm of the hand while spinning. The structure of the top which affords accomplishing these results resides principally in a reverse angle I construction at the tip of the top.

A top constructed in accordance with the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view illustrating such a top with some parts broken away and some parts in section.

Fig. 2 is a view illustrating the tip.

Fig. 3 is a View of a modified form.

Fig. 4 is a view illustrating the tip of a modified form.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view illustrating one of the performances which can be accomplished.

Fig. 6 is a view showing a further modified form of tip.

The top, as shown in Fig. 1, comprises a body I preferably made of wood. Such woods as beech, birch and maple are admirable for the purpose. Of course, the invention is not limited to the making of the body of the top of wood as the body may be plastic or other material. Sumce it to say that the upper part of the body is suitably fashioned or rounded as at 2 while the major portion thereof is generally tapering as at 3 and the tapering part 3 may be on a slight radius as indicated and tapers to an approximate apex 8.

The part which is termed the tip of the top herein, is the tip or point upon which the top spins and this point may be made of suitable material, such as metal. As shown in th drawings this tip, which may be integrally formed, has a projecting part 5. This part 5 is advantageously of uniform cross dimensions from end to end and it may be circular in form and the tip is secured to the top body by inserting the portion 5 into the body as shown in Fig. 1.

Adjoining the projecting portion 5 is an intermediate portion 6 of frusto-conical form. The

two portions 5 and 6 join or intersect at the location I and when the tipis mounted in the top body, the intersection 1 is preferably in close proximity and substantially contiguous to the approximate apex as shown in Fig. 1. In other words, the line at the intersection 1 between the portions 5 and 6 is contiguous with the extreme small end part of the body.

The portion 6 therefore provides a shape in the form of a frustum of a cone extending from the part of smallest diameter of the top which is at the intersection 1. Accordingly, it will be observed that the frusto-conical shaped part 6 is reversely positioned relativ to the tapered body of the top. The thick portion or part of maximum diameter of the tip is indicated at In, and from this location the tip is suitably ensmalled and is preferably of tapered form, as shown at H, to provide a relatively pointed end [2 upon which the top is to spin.

For purposes which will presently appear, the surface of the frusto-conical part 6 is preferably roughened or grooved in order to provide for frictional engagement with the string. As shown in Fig. 1, the frusto-conical part 6 is roughened or grooved with slight grooves or corrugations extending in an axial direction as shown at l5. In the modified form the parts are otherwise the same as those described except that the frustoconical portion 6 is roughened by circumferentially extending grooves or corrugations l5a. In the form shown in Fig. 6 the frusto-conical surface is smooth.

The string is wound upon the top after the manner shown in Fig. 3 with convolutions 11, it being understood that the string is wound upon the form shown in Fig. 1 in the same manner and the string is provided with a button or other device so that the string may extend between the fingers of the hand and may be held by the button. The roughened surfaces of the frustoconical portions 6 may be dis ensed with without departing from the invention but the roughened structure is preferred.

When the string is wound upon the top as indicated the top is then gripped by the hand and then cast therefrom. The top is set into a spinning motion. A convolution or two of the string, as indicated at l8, engages the portion 6 and it has good frictional contact therewith because of the roughened characteristic. The user may soon learn how to cast the top and then by a quick jerky motion or retracting motion, the top may be caused to return, spinning through the air as it leaves the string and may be caught in the palm of the hand.

Another performance or manner of use is indicated in Fig. 5 where one hand of the user is illustrated at a and the other at b. Assuming that the top is held spinning from palm of hand a with the string passing through fingers of the hand held by the button, the string may be engaged near its opposite end and by the hand b. The spinning top may be droppedfrom the hand and caught with thestring in the recess formed by the opposing frusto-conical surfaces of the portion 6 and the body of the top. The top at this time may be spinning substantially .on a horizontal axis and as it drops by gravitythe string is payed out or loosened by'thelhandibso that the top is engaged insortof a...lo,o.p in the string, as indicated by the dotted lines. When the top has dropped by gravity to a-xsufiicient extent, within the judgment or desire of the user,-it.-.is :jerked back by. a liftontightening action of -.the ,string vwhich may. .be executed ',-largely. by .manipulation Iof .the..hand.,b. .This -.action imparts spinning.motion .of.the top and .asrthertop .is tossed .or .thrown upwardly .by this motion, it :mayagain be caughtin the palm of the.-hand .a. Inthis actionthe user .soon learns ---to. rig-ht the'top from. ahorizontal spinningaxis to an upright spinning .axis. This performance may be continuedindefinitely, as. each time it .is accomplished, added spinning motionis .given .to-wthe-top.

. Iclaim: 7

..A.spinning.top, .ofthe type adapted to have a ;string wound'rthereon andto becastfrom the =hand-.of. a. user comprising,.a top body having a -tapering portion which .tapers to an approxvimate -apex,=a separate .tip securedto vthebody attheapproximate apex by means Iota-shank oinsertedtherein, isaidtip having a portion of regular 'frusto-conical shape, theboundary line .of the .smalludimensionof the frustoeconical shape being contiguous with the approximate apex of the body and the part having the large dimension of the frusto-conical shape being spaced from the approximate apex of the body,

so that the taper of the frusto-conical portion is reverse to that of the tapering part of the body, the dimension of the frusto-conical form from the boundary line of its small end to the boundary line of the base thereof being substantially inexcess of thatrequired to receive one convolution of the string to be wound upon the top, the maximum cross dimension of the tip being small compared to that of the body,

.and. said tip having an end portion extending from the base of the frusto-conical shape to an ensmalled:substantially fiat circular end for engaging a surface upon which the top spins,

the end portion being of tapering form from the .base of the frusto-conical portion to said ensmalled end, the surface of the frusto-conical portion beingadapted .to. be engaged by the string for manipulation ofthespinning top and said surface being .serrated to provide vforfrittionalengagement with .the string.

GUS G. KONDRATH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain .1892 

